Fastening device for doorknob assemblies

ABSTRACT

Doorknob assemblies, particularly for doors to be opened primarily from one side, such as lavatory doors, are in the form of two knobs, one male and one female, fastened together in permanently aligned position by a bolt with a recessed head and shoulder extending through the center of the female knob and into a tapped hole in the male knob. This tapped hole is in a projection fitting into a recess in the female knob, and a second projection offset from the center fits into another recess in the female knob, so that the two knobs are locked to turn together. The projections seat in the recesses when the bolt is tightened. Preferably the male knob carries the customary parts for moving a latch when the knobs are turned.

United States Patent Inventor Gus Constantino Scutari Brooklyn, N.Y.

Appl. No. 66,819

Filed Aug. 25, 1970 Patented Oct. 12, 19 71 Assignee Formica Corporation Cincinnati, Ohio FASTENING DEVICE FOR DOORKNOB ASSEMBLIES 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Fi s.

U.S.(l 292/347,

Field of Search ..292/137-143,

347, 348, 350, DIG. 65; 70/207, 224, 332, 445; 16/121, 123

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1925 Moseley 3,027,183 3/1962 Schlege 292 140 3,174,178 3/1965 Branche 16/121 FOREIGN PATENTS I Primary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe Attorney-James T. Dunn ABSTRACT: Doorknob assemblies, particularly for doors to be opened primarily from one side, such as lavatory doors, are in the form of two knobs, one male and one female, fastened together in permanently aligned position by a bolt with a recessed head and shoulder extending through the center of the female knob and into a tapped hole in the male knob. This tapped hole is in a projection fitting into a recess in the female knob, and a second projection ofi'set from the center fits into another recess in the female knob, so that the two knobs are A locked to turn together. The projections seat in the recesses when the bolt is tightened. Preferably the male knob carries thecustomary parts for moving a latch when the knobs are turned.

PAIENTEnucI 12 I97] ,5

INVENTOR. GUS CONSTANT/N0 SCUTAR/ 5W rm ATTORNEY FASTENING DEVICE FOR DOORKNOB ASSEMBLIES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Doorknob assemblies with male and female knobs have been used extensively, particularly for doors which are intended to be opened and locked from one side only, such as lavatory doors. It is customary to insert the male member through the opening in the door and lock it to the female member by snapping in a star washer having teeth on the outsidewhich grip the inner periphery of the female washer and other teeth which grip the outer periphery of the male doorknob member. Ordinarily the parts which move a latch or lock are a part of or may be integral with the male member.

.Problems arise, which are, in general,'of three types. First it is hard to align the knobs before snapping in the star washer connecting them, and once connected they cannot be moved to correct any misalignment of the two knobs. A second problem arises from the fact that the star washer is snapped on, usually by finger pressure, and if great care is not taken,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention removes the drawbacks described above and provides for an assembly that is positively held together with no looseness and is automatically aligned by positive means. Essentially, in the present invention there is a central recessed hole in one of the knobs, usually the female knob, which knob is provided with a central recess into which a projection or boss on the male knob fits and can seat firmly. The center of this boss is drilled and tapped. Another recess eccentrically located in the female knob receives a second boss or projection on the male knob which locks the two knobs together so that they turn in unison. The depth of the recesses in the female knobs and height of the projections or bosses on the male knobs are the same, so that if one seats, so does the other. 1

' After inserting the male knob through the customary hole in the door and turning the knob so that proper alignment with the latching mechanism is achieved, the knobs are bolted together with a bolt having a shoulder engaging the recess in the central hole of the female knob and preferably provided with a recessed hole in its head to take a conventional wrench of the Allen type. The two knobs are bolted together firmly by screwing in the bolt, and firm seating of the bosses on the male knob in the recesses of the female knob results. The knobs cannot come loose as the bolting is positive and firm and no problem is presented of a loosening star washer where assembly had not been sufficiently firm. Also, any play which might develop in the hole through the door cannot result in disengaging the star washer because when bolted together, the two knobs are locked into a rigid whole.

If assembly has been not quite correct, that is to say, the knobs may not be aligned with the latching mechanism so that the indicia or other parts of the knobs do not line up with the particular latch position, it is very easy to loosen the bolt somewhat so that the assembly can be turned in the door to produce exact alignment. This cannot be done with a star washer because once it is snapped into position it requires a diflicult disassembly to correct any misalignment. Even if disassembled, thismay result in damaging the star washer and the matingportions of the knobs and require replacement, for of course even at best the star washer can only lock if it is accurately and precisely snapped in and has not been distorted, which can occur if it was necessary to pry the knobs apart in order to correct misalignment If the same star washer is replaced, even though the second assembly is accurately done,

the washer may not hold as well and problems of unintended coming apart of the doorknob assembly are much more likely.

The general description above is of a preferred fonn or variant in which the recessed hole to receive the shoulder bolt is in the center of the female knob and the male knob carries bosses or projections seating in recesses in the female knob. It is, of course, equally possible, though not quite so convenient, to reverse parts, that is to say, the end of the male knob may carry recesses into which bosses from the female knob will fit. It is also possible, of course, although considerably more costly in manufacture, to have a hole for a bolt extending all the way through the male doorknob with a recessed hole in the plate of the latter and a threaded hole in the female knob. In each of the variants just described, the same major advantages are obtained, that is to say, rigid and firm bolting together of the two parts, which seat accurately to form a rigid whole regardless of slight variations in the thickness of the door. However, the preferred form, with the recessed hole for the bolt in the female member and a threaded hole in a boss on the male member, is the cheapest and easiest to manufacture, although in its broadest aspects the present invention is not limited to this preferred form.

It is preferred to have the bolt with a recessed head that can taken an Allen wrench. However, of course, the bolt may have any other form of head which can be tightened, such as a smaller hex or square head, screwdriver slots for ordinary or Phillips screwdrivers, and the like.

The recessed hole in the female member may be covered with a snap-in plastic or other plug in order to improve appearance to prevent accumulation of dirt or other material in the recessed head in use. Such a plug can be easily inserted and removed, and as such does not really constitute a part of the present invention. It is mentioned only to bring out added flexibility and versatility of the present invention. Since it is not, strictly speaking, a part of the present invention, such covering plugs will not be illustrated in the drawings setting forth the preferred embodiment.

One of the very important practical fields of the doorknob assembly of the present invention is for doors such as lavatory doors, closet doors, and the like where it is normally intended only to open the door from one side. However, the invention is equally useful with ordinary household door hardware in which the door should be opened from both sides. All that is needed is to provide the necessary shape of the male knob so that it can be grasped andthe door opened from that side as readily as from the other side. The essential features of the present invention which lock the assembly together into a rigid, functionally unitary whole may also be combined with locking doorknob assemblies which can only be unlocked with a key. In the case of household doorknob hardware, the locking mechanism is most easily incorporated into the male doorknob member. The applicability of the present invention to household hardware is a further illustration of its flexibility and versatility.

In the major field of the present invention for doors which are primarily intended only to be opened or locked from one side, such as lavatory doors, it is sometimes desirable to provide for emergency operation of the knob assembly from the other side. This is easily effected by providing a slot or other configuration in the normally flat end of the male doorknob member so that it can be opened with a screwdriver, a coin, or similar object.

The particular material of which the two knobs are made do not form, as such, any part of the present invention, and any suitable material can be used. At least for the male member, it is advantageous to use a material which can be readily cast in the desired form or shape and which is of adequate strength and rigidity for carrying the latching or bolting constituents. Ordinarily this will be of metal, such as, for example, diecastings of zinc and the like. The'raised knob on the female member need not be of the same material, although it can be. Sometimes for decorative purposes it is desirable to use another material, for example, porcelain, glass, plastic, and

the like. The material should have sufficient stiffness so that a tight seat of the two members results when the assembly is bolted together. The other materials are usually quite suitable, but in order to bolt together very tightly it is usually desirable that the tapped hole in the male member have threads in strong materials, such as metal. It is possible, of course, to have the male member also of some other material, such as plastic, but in such a case normally the tapped hole would be in a metallic insert in the plastic. Certain plastics, such as certain nylons, have considerable strength, and the strength may be adequate for the threads into which the bolt screws, particularly if the threads are moderately deep. Therefore, the present invention is in no sense limited to the tapped hole in which the bolt screws are of metal. As a matter of fact, if the male member is of nylon or other nonmetallic material of sufficient strength for tight bolting together, it may serve the additional function of holding the bolt against loosening. This, however, is of minor importance, and so metal or metal inserts are preferred. Even in such a case, of course, it is perfectly poxible to place a lock washer or other locking device underneath the head of the bolt However, since there is no vibration and since the rotational forces are carried by the second boss or pin of the male member, the problem of bolt loosening is usually academic; and so for most doorknob assemblies according to the present invention, a simple bolt is quite adequate without special locking means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a section through an assembly in a door bolted together;

FIG 2 is a plan view of the top of the female knob member, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the plate of the female member shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A portion of the door is shown at 1 with the barrel of a male member at 2 and the plate or end of the male member at 3. This plate is provided with an emergency opening slot 4. The barrel 2 is provided with a central boss 5 having a tapped hole 6. A second boss or pin 7 is eccentrically located. The two bosses project from the barrel the same distance, for reasons which will appear below.

The latching or locking mechanism, which in the case of the door shown in FIG. 1 is for a lavatory door, is carried by the male doorknob and is actuated when the doorknob, with its barrel 2, is turned. As this mechanism is the conventional mechanism and is not changed by the present invention, it is not shown in order not to confuse the drawing. The latch or bolt, of course, is moved in or out by rotation of the barrel 2 in the conventional manner.

A female doorknob member is shown at 8 with a raised portion 9, as can be seen in FIG. 3. The bottom or plate of the female doorknob is provided with a central recess 10 into which the boss 5 of the male member fits, and a second eccentrically located recess 11 into which the boss 7 of the male doorknob fits and serves as a locking pin so that the two members of the doorknob assembly are turned together without play.

The raised portion 9 of the female doorknob is provided with a recessed central hole 12 carrying a shoulder 13 at its bottom. Through this opening a bolt 14 extends and is shown in FIG. 1 as being screwed into the tapped hole 6 in the boss 5 of the male doorknob member. The head of the bolt 14 is provided with a recess 15, which may be of conventional hexagonal shape and can receive a standard Allen wrench, which is used to screw the bolt into the tapped hole 6 and bolt the two members of the doorknob assembly into a rigid unit. It will be seen that this unit provides an accurate seating of both bosses 5 and 7 as they have the same length.

When the lavatory door 1 is closed, female knob 8 is on the inside and can be turned by the raised dportion 9. This throws the latching bolt, which, as has been escribed above, is not shown, and the door is locked. The plate 3 of the male doorknob member is flush, and so the door cannot be opened by hand from the outside However, in an emergency, for example, if the user faints or a child has difficulty in remembering how to turn the female knob, the door can be opened from the outside by inserting a screwdriver or coin in the slot 4 shown in FIG. 1. This provision for emergency opening is not an essential feature of the present invention and can, of course, be omitted if not desired.

If the doorknob assembly is to be used on an ordinary household door instead of a lavatory or closet'door, of course the plate 3 is developed into a projecting knob of conventional design which can be grasped by the fingers. As the particular shape has nothing to do with the present invention, this is not shown in FIG. 1, which is directed to the preferred form of a doorknob assembly for a door which is to be latched from one side only.

FIGS. 1 and 3. show a female knob with a plain shape. This is quite satisfactory for the lavatory doors but sometimes a more decorative shape is desired and such a shape is shown in FIG. 2 being numbered 9 as is the raised portion in FIG. 1 and 3. Other decorative shapes for the raised portion of the female knob, may also be used. Strictly speaking the shape of the raised portion of the female knob is not an essential feature of the present invention and they may be of any desired shape. FIG. 2 illustrates only one such decorative shape and is an illustration of the versatility of design which may be used in the present invention.

I claim:

1. A doorknob assembly comprising in combination a. male and female members, one of which is adapted to extend through a hole in a door,

b. two bosses on a first member, one being a central boss and the other eccentrically located, both projecting the same distance, the central boss being provided with a threaded central hole,

c. a second member of the doorknob being provided with two recesses, one central and the other eccentric, mating with the central tapped boss and eccentric boss of the first member, the second member having a central recessed hole dimensioned to receive a headed bolt of outside diameter and threads mating with the threaded hole in the boss of the first member, at least the second member being provided with a raised portion capable of being grasped manually, and

d. the headed bolt being provided with a head capable of receiving tightening means, whereby the bolt can be screwed tightly into the threaded hole of the first member to bolt the two members together into a rigid unit.

2. A- doorknob assembly according to claim 1 in which the second member is a female member.

3. A doorknob assembly according to claim 2 for doors normally latched from one side only, in which the first member has a flat end or face plate provided with a depression for engaging the edge of an article for emergency opening from this side.

4. A doorknob assembly according to claim 1 in which the headed bolt is provided with a central polygonal recess adapted to engage a wrench of the Allen type for screwing in the bolt.

5. A doorknob assembly according to claim 2 in which the headed bolt is provided with a central polygonal recess adapted to engage a wrench of the Allen type for screwing in the bolt. 

1. A doorknob assembly comprising in combination a. male and female members, one of which is adapted to extend through a hole in a door, b. two bosses on a first member, one being a central boss and the other eccentrically located, both projecting the same distance, the central boss being provided with a threaded central hole, c. a second member of the doorknob being provided with two recesses, one central and the other eccentric, mating with the central tapped boss and eccentric boss of the first member, the second member having a central recessed hole dimensioned to receive a headed bolt of outside diameter and threads mating with the threaded hole in the boss of the first membeR, at least the second member being provided with a raised portion capable of being grasped manually, and d. the headed bolt being provided with a head capable of receiving tightening means, whereby the bolt can be screwed tightly into the threaded hole of the first member to bolt the two members together into a rigid unit.
 2. A doorknob assembly according to claim 1 in which the second member is a female member.
 3. A doorknob assembly according to claim 2 for doors normally latched from one side only, in which the first member has a flat end or face plate provided with a depression for engaging the edge of an article for emergency opening from this side.
 4. A doorknob assembly according to claim 1 in which the headed bolt is provided with a central polygonal recess adapted to engage a wrench of the Allen type for screwing in the bolt.
 5. A doorknob assembly according to claim 2 in which the headed bolt is provided with a central polygonal recess adapted to engage a wrench of the Allen type for screwing in the bolt. 